2 Answers
2

Out-of-universe - it's a name, rather than an acronym.

A mix of 'Ultroids' and 'tron'

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Roy Thomas, who co-created Ultron, answered:

Where did the idea for Ultron come from?

I never considered myself very good at making up names. Some of the first creatures I made up fighting The Avengers were part of a group called the Ultroids. I've always liked that tron ending. I had recently made up something called a psychlotron [a brainwashing device]. So I liked that tron ending, and Ultron just came as a good name.

With a lack of in-universe information, I've given an alternative answer that at least answers it from one point of view. Ultron doesn't stand for anything - it's a name. It stands to reason that in-universe it is therefore also just a name, rather than an acronym.
– LongshanksJan 4 at 13:57

2

I agree this could be reworded to act like a direct answer. The citation is valuable and shows the intent of the name even if not in-universe.
– JPhi1618Jan 4 at 14:37

1

Do NOT confuse "psychlotron" with "cyclotron".
– Jesse C. SlicerJan 4 at 19:53

It's not an acronym.

The inspiration behind the name "Ultron" actually came from the Roman
god of war Mars whose full name (in terms of the version chosen for
Ultron's inspiration, at least) is "Mars Ultor". The literal
translation of Mars Ultor is actually "Mars the Avenger", which
essentially means that Ultron's name is a derivative of the word
"Avenger" - the name of the team to whom he has been a robotic thorn
in the side for many a year since his first appearance. Mars Ultor is
also the name of a cult of Mars' followers, which is also interesting
given that Ultron has his own cult of followers - the "Sons of Yinsen" - in the Marvel comic books.

Even though it's likely true that the name doesn't stand for anything, saying the name would have to be written as "U.L.T.R.O.N" is wrong. Acronyms do not have to be written in uppercase with dots between letters. They can still 'stand for something' if they are written in lowercase without dots.
– kapexJan 4 at 14:21

15

NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration, so not having dots does not prove it's not an acronym. - And most people don't even know that LASER is an acronym (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) because there are no dots.
– Oliver_CJan 4 at 16:20

8

Scuba is written in normal case and no dots though it stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
– Jesse C. SlicerJan 4 at 19:54

6

@VerNick I don't,but given that Roy's name is associated with another interview on the site in 2016, and another in 2018, it seems unlikely that the real Roy wouldn't object to the article if it wasn't genuine. All I'm saying is that the author of your article hasn't cited where they found their facts (comic number, author interview, personal opinion etc.), which IMO lessens the credibility of the answer.
– LongshanksJan 5 at 14:13